- Date of Release: 01 May 2025
- Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
- Language: Tamil
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Retro
Introduction
Irony is a genre that not many choose to attempt. It is often sharp and divisive, so much so that you are at a risk of losing out on your viewers if the allegories don’t land. But in the modern setup, no other filmmaker comes to my mind other than Karthik Subbaraj who has mastered this format. If you look closely, the subtext of irony is prevalent in most of Subbaraj’s previous works – using cinema as a tool for a revolution (Jigarthanda DoubleX), or a silent film used almost as a statement for its characters suffering from the negligence of the government (Mercury), or one of my favourites – a character named Gandhi going onto become the most wanted gangster in the country, only to be opposed by a cop ‘Dadabhai Naoroji’ (Mahaan). The idea in his films is to use the subtext and weave a piece of art that is not only entertaining but also genre-shifting, highlighting the eccentricities of filmmaking at its core. With the new Tamil film Retro, he takes this concept higher by several notches, by not only paying homage to several yesteryear’s films but also providing a divisive subtext of the art form through its shifting genres, and concepts that are almost symbolic to the divisive response that the film has attained. One thing remains clear with Retro – either you will love it completely, or not like it at all. There is no middle ground here!
Story & Screenplay (Themes Explained)
As the name suggests, almost the entire drama in Retro ranges between the 1960s to the 1990s. But the early signs of its subtext is established through its character Paarivel Kannan (Suriya). Interestingly, his name Kannan is one of the names of Lord Krishna, a subtext that is directly reflected in his earlier journey. Paari is found lost at a place following chaos that ensues, prompting Sandhya (Paari’s step mother) to take a decision to adopt him even as her husband Thilagan (Joju George) refuses to acknowledge the young toddler. Another interesting detail with respect to Paari remains the spear-shaped trishul on his chest that he is born with (an early sign of him being ‘The Chosen One’, a subtext that comes later in the film). This, while Paari fails to smile.
The tagline of the drama remains – Love. Laughter. War, and each of these emotions are used as varying genres with a conflicting emotion tagged to it. For instance when Paari meets Rukmini for the first time, you notice a genuine warmth being devoted towards him. Here, the subtext remains two-fold – Rukmini is symbolic of Lord Krishna’s wife but in terms of the drama, she comes across as the most warm and empathetic human being as far as Paari is concerned. The occasion isn’t a pleasant one for Paari given that he has just lost his step-mom, the one human who loved him the most. The anger in him is brewing to the point that it would soon transform into a life-altering event for Paari, who would soon take the reigns of a henchman (presented as a Bruce Lee Graphic novel hero) working for his step-father against his evil uncle (a reference to Kans). But in the moment, Rukmini is the most non-violent person ever who only wants Paari to smile. Clearly, this remains a case of opposites attract but also an ideological difference between Paari (symbolic of Lord Krishna) and Rukmini (symbolic of the laughing Buddha). In a scene when a grown up Rukmini (Pooja Hegde) stares into the eyes of Paari, it accounts for a whiff of nostalgia for me wherein I couldn’t help but smile away to glory.
One of the highlights of the film has got to be the 15 minute one-take sequence that in itself was complex. With the one-take shots being the flavour of the year with representations in a show like Adolescence or the Tamil film Veera Dheera Sooran Part 2, this one remains a prolific one too. There are different shades to be discovered in the sequence – one that starts with a dance number only to transition into a father-son face-off while establishing the core concept to later transforming into a brawl that ends of a brutal note (ironically with a statue of Laughing Buddha in the background denoting peace). It will literally blow your mind.
The shift in genres remains a regular theme in the drama, something that is often marked in bold red letters onscreen. The shift is also tagged to a subtext, even as the drama transitions into a slap-stick comedy (remember ‘smile’ and ‘laughter’ remain static constants here) with a ‘Chaplin’ reference and a shift in setting that takes the viewers to a Black Island in Andaman. Again, the conflict is two-fold with the island being representative of ‘Kaala Paani’ while also familiarizing the viewers with the presence of a few more characters who are ruling the roosts. It also adds subtext by combining the two mythological manuscripts of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana in a way – with Black Island being an anti-thesis of gold-ridden Lanka with the presence of Lord Krishna in the mix. It is a wacky concept and depends on where you want to take your imagination.
There are searing homages to films like The Hunger Games (2012), Gladiator (2000) or even Mad Max, even as Paari in a bid to turn over a new leaf and win over the trust of Rukmini, is further forced into a fight that is controlled by the dictators of the land, namely Rajavel (Nassar) and ‘King’ Michael (Vidhu). Here is where the political allegory of the setup kicks in, with the fight brewing between the ‘slaves’ and the ‘thieves’. In the modern day world, it remains a case of politicians dividing their people based on caste and religion, by pitting one against the other. But the ‘game’ itself is a part of the ‘cult’, even as the writing willingly wishes to create a direct comparison between cult and religion, while differentiating holistically between the two. Yes, I must add that there is a slight dip in the proceedings that causes a moderate emotional disconnect with its characters, something that can happen when you are switching genres but the effort remains commendable.
The character arc of Paari is again a subtext that reeks of duality (in a good way). It is about halfway through the drama that you see him smiling for the first time, marking a change in his personality from muscular to tender. This could also be interpreted as his ability to now distinguish between the good and the evil, or even more specifically choosing the violence to bestow on the opposition. Therefore after an initial outburst, you see Paari switching sides and fighting for his people, in a straight-up case between good versus the evil. It also remained interesting how the weakest person in a team was ‘crucified’, something that was a direct take on the crucification of Jesus Christ even while equating it with a bout of morality. And the final uprising features a stellar subtext on how the greatest of dictators remain the greatest of cowards, a searing commentary on the power dynamics in the drama.
The finale has got to be one of the most unique things that I may have witnessed on celluloid lately. Yes, the setup remains closer to the finale of Subbaraj’s previous outing Jigarthanda DoubleX (2023), but if you look closely, it is an anti-thesis of the same. The whole allegory of laughter, smile, joy and positivity triumphing over arms and negativity was just beautifully represented in a final act that fills you with so much warmth. The shift of grammer in terms of the screenplay is also immensely commendable and satisfying, one that completes its circle even as Paari transitions from the ideologies of Lord Krishna to that of Lord Buddha (referred to as Laughing Buddha in the film). It was a perfect life-circle that represents a being from materialistic violence to laughter and peace, thereby summing up its screeplay that is intellectually stimulating and makes for a wonderful watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are generally good with lines like ‘the greatest dictators being the greatest cowards’ immediately making a splash. I did feel that the shifting mood of the drama was well-adapted through the lines although the comedic portions of the film didn’t exactly land smoothly. The music is good although the Shriya Saran dance number literally came out of nowhere and slowed the proceedings down. But it must be said that one of the unsung heroes of the film has got to be Santhosh Narayanan who delivers a resounding background score. It must be said that Santhosh did understand the world and the characters just so well, to literally deliver a banger with adapting so well to the shifting tonalities of the drama. The cinematography and production design are top notch, comprising of frames that could literally double up as postcards. The wide-angle shots are absolutely breathtaking, and also plays a vital role in conveying the subtexts hidden in the drama through its incredible frames.
The costume department deserves a mention too, with eye-popping colour coordinated attires that literally represent the wacky vibe of the drama. The editing is crisp and sharp while also making for a watch that epitomizes a graphic novel. Director Karthik Subbaraj has got to be one of the most unique voices doing the rounds. And his ability to ace the irony genre has got to be a superpower that he could well be proud of. Here the transitions were incredibly tough, and marginally did see a drop of guard in the second hour, but largely, the skills of the director were in full display. Karthik didn’t seem to be too flustered with the experimental narrative that he was aspiring here. The subtext was an added flavour to the already entertaining drama, wherein a prolific director stamped his authority on the proceedings.
Performances
The performances are pretty good by the members of the cast. Remya Suresh as Lakshmi and Swasika as Sandhya have their moments to shine and make for wonderful acts. The veterans Prakash Raj as Dharmendran, Jayaram as ‘Chaplin’ and Nassar as Rajavel add distinct and unique flavours to the mix and both are solid and wild in their respective capacities. Sujith Sankar as Freddie is decent despite a underwritten character. Vidhu as King Michael has an eccentric streak to his character, something that he taps into rather efficiently while delivering a chaotic act and managing to leave a mark. Joju George as Thilagam is outstanding to a core in a character that is supremely intimidating while comprising of a ‘Thanos’ arm (you see the subtext there?). He is a joy to witness here. Pooja Hegde as Rukmini is gentle and tender and almost an anti-thesis of Paari to begin with, and there is so much warmth and affection that she brings to her character here. She is sincere and earnest and absolutely affable in her character. Suriya as Paari delivers a performance that holds the film together. The entire film (mostly) unfolds through his gaze, and so the requirement for him was to be agile (both literally and figuratively) while adapting to the shifting tide. And even when things relatively slow down in the second hour, it is his presence coupled with an incredible ability to showcase his skills in combat sequences that adds a sense of coherence to the chaos. It was a performance to savour and cherish while establishing the fact that Suriya will always be committed to the vision of the filmmaker, and giving his hundred percent.
Conclusion
Retro features an anatomy of a smile featuring a cocktail of genres packaged in an intellectually stimulating cinephile’s wet dream, that makes for a brilliant watch (for me, personally). Make no mistake – the chaotic subtexts and shifting genres will divide the viewers, and their opinions. And so, there is no middle ground for this film – either you will love it, or you won’t. For me personally, the hidden subtexts remained intellectually stimulating, thereby making this a wonderfully unique movie watching experience. Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!
